Nagra-SDM spat: Officers fail to broker compromise

The inquiry into the alleged verbal spat between Congress legislator Kuljit Singh Nagra and subdivisional magistrate (SDM) Pooja Syal Grewal on Monday is yet to begin, even as senior officials of the administration have failed to broker a compromise.

The inquiry into the alleged verbal spat between Congress legislator Kuljit Singh Nagra and subdivisional magistrate (SDM) Pooja Syal Grewal on Monday is yet to begin, even as senior officials of the administration have failed to broker a compromise.

A senior official said here on Friday that neither the MLA nor the SDM was ready to accept the compromise terms of the other. A highly placed source said senior officers had met both on Wednesday evening and asked them to end the stalemate.

On Thursday, another meeting was again at night, where the local administration tried again to sort out the matter amicably; but neither party agreed to backtrack from written statement. Yet again,, they disagreed on terms.

The senior officer cited legal hitches in taking immediate action against any of the two, even as there was “no denying the credibility of the complaint lodged by SDM Grewal”. “There will have to be full-fledged fair inquiry before any action against Nagra, as he is also an elected representative,” the officer added.

He said that the immediate solution was compromise, since the Congress legislator had lodged a complaint with the Punjab assembly speaker, while the SDM had approached the deputy commissioner. The inquiry is delayed only for only cross-examination.

Deputy commissioner Arun Sekhri confirmed that the inquiry was entrusted to Patiala divisional commissioner Ajit Singh Pannu and any action would have to be based on his report. However, Pannu said he had received the orders on Friday itself and would proceed as early as possible.

Meanwhile, the Congressmen of Sirhind town near here have demanded the transfer of SDM Grewal for her “maligning the image of legislator Nagra during a municipal council meeting on Monday”. The delegation led by former councillor Subash Sood and Devinder Kumar Bhatt on Friday submitted a memorandum to additional deputy commissioner Malwinder Singh Jaggi.

The delegation said that as an elected public representative, Nagra had full knowledge of the protocol and decorum required at meetings, and he had not used any foul language during Monday’s meeting as well.They said the SDM, who was also administrator of the municipal council, did not have cordial behavior.